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Tour de France Check-in: Crashes, Bike-Cams and Shaved Legs

Andrew Talansky of the U.S. crashes as the pack with stage winner Italy's Matteo Trentin, foreground left, sprints towards the finish line during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race on Friday, July 11, 2014.

Bunch of dudes on bikes. Big mountains. Beautiful scenery. The Tour de France is one of the most epic, grueling events in professional athletics, yet many American sports fans would probably be hard-pressed to tell you much more about this year's race than those three hazy facts.

We're already 10 days into the 2014 Tour de France, and with Tuesday a tournament rest day, what better time for fans to get up to speed? The World Cup is over, after all, and we'll need something to spin our wheels before autumn brings on football season and the MLB World Series.

Here, below, are five things worth knowing about this year's Tour de France, so you can hold your own around the office water cooler, as the race resumes Wednesday and progresses toward its final stage on July 27.

1. Crashes on crashes on crashes shake up the field

Spain's Alberto Contador puts on a new shoe after crashing prior to abandoning race during the tenth stage of the Tour de France on Monday, July 14, 2014.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

The Tour de France had a brutal first 10 days, with three of cycling's biggest names already forced to pull out of the tournament, with injuries sustained in crashes. Mark Cavendish, defending champ Chris Froome and 2007 winner Alberto Contador are all out of the race.

So where does that leave the field? For now, it looks like 29-year-old Vincenzo Nibali is in a good position to come out on top — although that could easily change with 11 race days still to come. If he does win, Nibali will become the first Italian to take Le Tour since Marco Pantani in 1998. Lance Armstrong then won it for the next seven years, but later had those victories stripped, and was banned from cycling for life for doping in 2012.

2. Mountain stages: Bring on the pain

Pavel Padrnos of Poland leads the pack of riders as they climb the Aubisque pass in the Pyrenees mountains during the 11th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Pau and La Mongie, southwestern France, Thursday July 18, 2002.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Monday brought the 2014 Tour's first mountain stage, which surely had many cyclists more than happy to take advantage of Tuesday's rest day. But there are more hellish ascents, which annually produce the Tour's most striking photos, coming soon.

Friday and Saturday are back-to-back mountain days, stretching a combined 232 miles. Then July 22 to 24 brings three straight mountain stages, starting with the fearsome 147-mile leg, from Carcassonne to Bagnères de Luchon, on the 22nd.

If you're unclear, the most basic explanation of how the Tour de France works is that riders are timed in each stage of the race, and whoever has the lowest total time at the end wins the whole thing. For a more detailed look at strategies, stages and terminology, SB Nation has a good breakdown.

3. Bike-cams make Tour de France debut

For the first time ever, some Tour de France cyclists are allowed to affix miniature video cameras to the fronts and backs of their bikes. This has long been allowed in many races, but bike-cams are just now making their Tour debut. The result is an unprecedented perspective of cycling's biggest race.

4. For best results, shave those legs

In few places will you find more dudes with shaved legs than at the Tour de France. Silky-smooth legs are a staple of professional cycling, and serve a few purposes, perhaps most notably making it easier to treat the nasty cuts and scrapes that result from inevitable spills.

But a lack of leg hair also boosts a cyclist aerodynamically — as the above YouTube video, uploaded on July 1, proves. Bicycle company Specialized ran some tests and found that, in one guy's case, freshly shaved legs saved 82 seconds in time over a 40-kilometer distance.

That's nothing to laugh at.

5. Selfie madness

The biggest scourge the 2014 Tour de France's first few days wasn't injuries or doping. Nope — it was selfies.

Some fans wanted Tour de France selfies with cyclists in the background so badly that they actually encroached on the course, and became a danger to racers and themselves.

People seem to have come to their senses, and the controversy has died down. Over in neighboring Spain, however, authorities are seeking a man who took a reckless selfie at the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.

This is the human condition in 2014, folks. For better or for worse.

tour-de-france-2014

A man dressed as Sherlock Holmes poses with cycling fans prior to the start of the first stage of the Tour de France on July 5, 2014.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, watched by her husband Prince William, left, and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, second right, prepares to cut the ribbon officially starting the Tour de France at Harewood House near Leeds, England.

Image: Asadour Guzelian, Pool/Associated Press

Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Harry, watch as riders approach the finish line of Stage 1 of the Tour De France on July 5, 2014, in Harrogate, England.

Image: Chris Jackson, Pool/Associated Press

A teammate, rear, raises his arms as Germany's sprinter Marcel Kittel, second right, crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France ahead of second place Peter Sagan of Slovakia, third from right, and third place Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania, right.

Image: Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Marcel Kittel crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France, concluding a 118.4 mile stage that started in Leeds and finished in Harrogate, England.

Image: Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Kate Middleton applauds as Marcel Kittel puts on the overall leader's yellow jersey on the podium of the first stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Sprinter Marcel Kittel, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, and Jens Voigt of Germany, wearing the best climber's dotted jersey, and Peter Sagan of Slovakia, wearing the best young rider's white jersey, second left, lead the pack during the ceremonial procession at the start of the second stage of the Tour de France on July 6, 2014.

Image: Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Spectators line the road as France's Blel Kadri climbs in the breakaway group during the second stage of the Tour de France between York and Sheffield, England.

Image: Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Blel Kadri grimaces as he rides breakaway during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

A dog owner who dressed up his dog with the best climber's dotted jersey poses during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Britain's Christopher Froome, center right with race number one, passes a police officer during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Thousands of spectators line the roads as the pack climbs Bradfield pass during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, front, crosses the finish line ahead of the sprinting pack, rear, to win the second stage of the Tour de France.

Image: Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, kisses the trophy on the podium of the second stage of the Tour de France.

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